//------------------------------// // It is possible they will do the work for me... // Story: A shadow of what I once was. // by FaelaArts //------------------------------// ’You. Broke. My. Heart!’ Sombra opened his eyes, pulling the paper off his face as he quickly tossed a few under the mattress. Stifling a yawn, he looked to the papers remaining and turned, leaving the room. Sneaking out into the throne room, Rainbow Dash was snoring loudly, her hooves on a book half read. Turning, Sombra opened Twilight’s door and headed inside, closing it behind him. “Ngh,” she spoke in her sleep, tossing and turning as purple mist lightly escaped from her eyes. Sombra sighed softly, and walked over, and waited a moment. The mist seeping out began to grow stronger, and more thick. Sombra breathed out and looked to his horn. After a moment, he closed his eyes, and lightly touched it to Twilight’s as a light glow surrounded his horn, very faint and almost fading at times. ' “Fools! You think Discord can stand up to me?” Twilight laughed as she concentrated, and Discord was slammed into the ground, melting into the crystal. Levitating a large piece of crystal, she released it directly over him. Blood began to seep out of the bottom. Fluttershy broke up into racking sobs, and Twilight turned her glare on Fluttershy. “So this is your fear.” Sombra walled out of the door behind Twilight, and joined her overlooking the prisoners. Twilight smirked, and turned toward him, and aimed a spell at his chest. Sombra watched it pass straight through him, and sighed, closing his eyes. “As enjoyable it is to see you torturing your friends, I have use of that fear.” Sombra’s horn glowed brightly, and suddenly everything around them shattered, turning pure white and devoid of anything. Twilight suddenly found herself in control of her body, and she collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face. “I just...no,” she sobbed, hugging herself. Sombra ignored her, and scanned the white landscape, narrowing his eyes as he found a direction that looked exactly like the others, at least from Twilight’s perspective. Sombra’s horn began to glow again, and slowly a new world formed around them. The new world was a simple corridor with many doors, one which was currently open, revealing the frozen dream inside. Twilight backed away from it, standing up and looking inside the opposite one. This one featured a picture of Canterlot library, and she sniffed once, calming down. Turning, she realised Sombra had already started walking, and cantered after him. “Wait! How did you get in here? I thought only Luna could interrupt dreams.” Twilight slowed to a walk as Sombra began to glance in each of the rooms, narrowing his eyes as he paused briefly at each one. Twilight saw many happy dreams, and silently hoped her next dreams would be so. “Yes, over a distance, but any pony can enter dreams from mere inches away.” Sombra paused, and opened a door, revealing a bright green glow. Entering it, he paused as he waited for time to restart. Twilight followed him inside, and found herself sucked into a very old nightmare. Fortunately, she was still in control of herself, but there was a second version of her in the dream, living the events. “This is-” Sombra cut himself off, floating down toward the city. Twilight realised she was able to fly as well, and wondered if this was something unique to Sombra’s dream spell. After a moment, they were within earshot of Twilight, who was currently trapped in a cocoon of dark crystals. “You have to take it Spike.” Unicorn Twilight tossed Spike the heart, and he ran away. Alicorn Twilight followed Sombra as he trailed the dragon, and paused briefly as he spotted himself. “I only had this nightmare once, shortly after your defeat. It is the one where you win.” Twilight looked away sadly as Cadance was thrown for Spike, but dream Sombra caught the dragon first, and it was over. Sombra waited, seeing if the dream started once more, but accepted that this was where the old Twilight had woken. “Why are we here?” Alicorn Twilight noticed her Unicorn self had vanished from the dream. Sombra spared her a quick glance, before flying down and taking the heart from the frozen Spike. Examining it, he looked it over, and then touched his horn to it, sending a slight burst of magic into it. It began to throb bright green. “We are here for this.” Sombra bit down, and the crystal shattered, revealing a glowing orb that sent chills down Twilight’s spine. Sombra grabbed it with his hoof, and put it in his mouth, swallowing it instantly. Twilight widened her eyes. “Was that…?” Trailing off, Twilight tried to name the thing she had just seen, and watched Sombra turn toward her. “A manifestation of fear. If left alone, it would have eventually consumed you. It was most likely caused by your short use of amateur fear magic.” Sombra swiped at the background, and brought the dream back to the door Twilight had tried to use fear magic on. Twilight thought about it, and bit her lip. “Then why did you eat it?” Twilight didn’t understand, wouldn’t eating it just make Sombra be consumed instead? Sombra widened his eyes, and then raised his head and gave a chortling laugh. “You fear for my safety? I am already too far consumed for it to even affect me. It also allows me to regain another small portion of my magic.” Sombra pointed to his horn, and knew outside of the dream the glow would now be holding steady, instead of almost fading out. Twilight widened her eyes, and tilted her head. “Regain your magic, what do you mean?” Twilight frowned, the glowing eyes, the sparking of the magic. Was that not caused by the limiter? Sombra’s smile vanished in an instant, and he glared at her. “The crystal heart drained me of every scrap of magic in my body, including the magic granted by being transformed into shadow by the solar mare.” Sombra turned, and swiped at the dream, once more returning them to the corridor. Walking to the end, he pulled open a room with pure white inside it, and waited for Twilight. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I understand why you want those crystals now. Is there any way I can help?” Twilight turned, but growled in irritation as Sombra forced her into the room. “You can help me by getting in the crystal room!” Sombra slammed the door behind Twilight, and Twilight suddenly found her eyes drooping. The white landscape around her shattered, and suddenly she was in a dream, flying with Celestia and Luna to some sort of music.’ Sombra opened his eyes and leaned away from the now still Twilight, seeing the small smile on her face. Turning toward the door, he glanced back to the blanket that had been kicked to the ground. Levitating it back over Twilight, he left the room and snuck back to his own.